Natural Smarter Pulse

Short description

The shift toward plant-based proteins is recognized as a megatrend, but the market is growing slower than expected, and consumers are trying these products without sticking with them. The barrier isn’t ideological—it’s the product itself. Poor digestibility and nutrient bioavailability, an incomplete amino acid profile, unsatisfactory taste and texture, long ingredient lists with additives and hard-to-recognize ingredients, and prices far from parity with animal-based equivalents. NSPulse responds with a proprietary fermentation process using legumes and grains (2 patents filed, March 2026). For the first time, Fermius Foods products offer it all: high digestibility and full bioavailability, a complete amino acid profile, authentic taste and satisfying texture, a short and clean label free of synthetic additives, and a scalable cost approaching price parity. The vision is to be the benchmark for plant-based proteins that consumers truly choose because they taste good—even before they’re sustainable.

Business & Revenue Model

• B2C Target: Gen X/Y/Z (Italy, Belgium, Spain) — flexitarians, people with food intolerances, health-conscious consumers
• Focus: Premium pricing for high-quality, functional products—even before plant-based ones
• B2B Target: Large-scale retail buyers, HoReCa — seeking category innovation, sustainable margins, and a differentiating narrative
• SAM Europe: Y2030 €29.4B with an expected +25.0% CAGR over the period Y[2030]
• Revenue: B2C/B2B sales under the Fermius Foods brand — large-scale retail, HoReCa, e-commerce
• Progressive GTM: Spreadables (Q4 2026) → Meat Alternatives + Beverages (2027) → Sauces + Eggs (2028)
• Production model: Asset-light — 100% outsourced production (3 certified third-party manufacturers)
• Core in-house functions: R&D, quality, procurement, marketing, sales
• Gross margin: Over 35% of net sales
• Revenue target 2030: €9.8M
• EBITDA Y2029: break-even → Y2030: 12.2%
• Scalability strategy: Focus on weighted distribution and channel penetration (no SKU proliferation)
• Geographic expansion: Starting in 2028

Traction

• Stage: Pre-revenue (initial commercial launch planned for Q4 2026)
• Pilot production of spreadables: launched in Q1 2026 at prospect 3PM (Padua)
• Prototypes under evaluation: Meat Alternatives and Fermented Beverages (ongoing since January 2026)
• Intellectual property: 2 patent applications filed (April 2026) on ferments and fermentation processes
• R&D partnerships: UniBolzano/ICOFF, La Sapienza Rome
• Recipe development partnership: Vegan chef specializing in fungal fermentation
• GTM and Design Thinking partnerships: Lato S.R.L. (Modena), Gstudio (Germany)
• GenAI Partnership: Backwell (Germany)
• Operational Headquarters: NOI Techpark Bolzano (European hub for FoodTech and Advanced Fermentation)
• Commercial Pipeline: Contacts with large-scale retail buyers initiated, 3PM agreement in the final stages

Roadmap and Development Plan

2026

• End-to-end industrial process validation (May)
• Spreadables Look & Feel (Q2)
• Agreement signed with manufacturer 3PM (Q3)
• 1st Wave Capex €55K for Packaging Line (Q3)
• Recruitment of Sales Manager (Q3), Founding Marketing Lead (Q3), FP&A (Q4)
• First retail agreement and commercial launch of Spreadables (Q3-Q4)

2027

• Launch of Fermented Beverages (Q2) and Meat Alternatives (Q3)
• 2nd Wave Capex of €130K for Processing Spreadables & Beverages (Q2)
• Expansion into the HoReCa channel
• Recruitment of Head of Production (Q2)
• €1M Seed Extension Round (Q3–Q4 2027 / Q1 2028) for CAPEX and scaling

2028

• Launch of Sauces (H1) and Plant-Based Eggs (H2)
• Upscaling of 3PM production capacity
• 3rd Wave Capex of €600K for Alternative Meat and Beverage Processing (Q2)
• Consolidation of weighted distribution in large-scale retail

2029

• Net revenue exceeding €5 million
• EBITDA expected to break even

2030

• Net revenue exceeding €9 million
• EBITDA margin of 13.9%

Funding need & use of funds

Fundraising target: €1.1 million; launch by the end of 2026, with a target closing date of 2027

Use of funds (€1.1 million in Seed funding + Smart&Start + Regional Funds):

• R&D and Product Development
• Business Development and Marketing
• Human Resources
• IP and Legal

Team & Cap Table

Cap table:

Team:

Founders:

• Federico Camiciottoli – Co-Founder & CEO. CMO at Cooperlat, Marketing Director at Parmalat UHT, Business Unit Director at UNIGRA. Expertise in brand strategy and go-to-market strategies in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.
• Alberto Salvia – Co-Founder & CEO. CEO of Danone Italy & Greece, COO of Danone Tunisia, Managing Director of Danone Indonesia, Vice President of Al Safi KSA. Expertise in international general management, turnarounds, and FMCG operations.

Technical team:

• Mirko De Leonardis – Technical Advisor. Food technologist and microbiologist with experience at Ignalat, Artigiana, and the University of Bari.
• Andrea Dell’Olio – Researcher. PhD and MSc in Food Science and biorefining, Puratos Group.

Scientific partners

• Prof. Gobbetti – University of Bolzano/ICOFF. Advanced fermentation. 1 postdoc + 2 PhD students.
• Prof. Rizzello – La Sapienza University of Rome. 1 postdoc + 2 PhD students.

Advisory

• M. Gismondi (AI, BackWell Tech)
• G. Hesse (FP&C, Hesse Partner)

Social/environmental issue and impact

Problem: 

The animal protein system accounts for 20% of global CO₂ emissions, consumes enormous amounts of energy, and fuels large-scale deforestation. Existing plant-based alternatives are not enough: ultra-processed, nutritionally incomplete, and difficult to digest, they slow down rather than accelerate the food transition.

Impact:

• Environmental Impact:
  • Replacement of animal proteins with locally sourced, fermented plant-based ingredients
  • Reduction of the environmental footprint without resorting to energy-intensive industrial processes
• Nutritional Impact:
  • Improved bioavailability and digestibility through proprietary biotechnological fermentation
  • Complete amino acid profile
  • Short ingredient list (max 5 ingredients), zero common allergens, zero ultra-processing
• Economic and Regional Impact:
  • R&D based in Bolzano (NOI Techpark) in partnership with UniBZ and La Sapienza University of Rome
  • National and European supply chains with direct benefits for the local agri-food ecosystem

Financial Structure (equity, debt, grant)

Equity:

• Share capital contributed by the founders (50/50)
• No external equity raised to date

Convertible instrument:

• €220K SAFE subscribed with LaGemma Venture (maturity: December 2025, convertible within 36 months)

Debt:

• None

Grant:

• €270,000 – Autonomous Province of Bolzano (PAB) for R&D and technological development